Salt Lake evening Democrat. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1885-1887, 1887-05-07
.sSPRINGHAYEN."

Mr.. r. d. Blackmore has given several
fine novels to the world. In the case of
"Springhaven" his latest effort, however,
the word "foisted" is much more ap-
propriate than "given." "Springhaven"
is gift the reading public most re-
luctantly accepts from the hands of Mr.
Blackmore. 1t is literary fiasco only
passing current because it is stamped
with the authors name. Mr.. Blackmore
has earned the reputation of "the great
est writer of English fiction of the day."
Should he present the public with Sec
ond "Springhaven" the above quoted
expression will be in itself very great
fiction. Mr.. Blackmore' s new story deals
with the stirring days of the threatene d
Napoleonic invasion of England. The
giant footsteps of Napoleon and Nelson
traverse his pages, and truely those
gigantic strides are confined to narrow
ground. With immortal Trafalgar,
and the great land and naval
encampment OF the First Consul
at Boulogne among his working
materials, Mr.. Blackmore has, instead of
raising literary monument to himself,
and the age of giants whereof he writes,
only succeeded in setting up a very OBJ
scure milestone. The story opens in the
spring of 1902 on England's western
coast. Admiral Darling land it is COM
fort to the reader and vindication Of
England's naval heroes to know that this
admiral is fictitious character) is in
charge of the coast defenses. This ad-
miral is an old companion in arms of
Lord Nelson's and is also an old fogy of
the most unfortunate description, double
fact to which he is indebted for
his prominence in the pages of
"Springhaven." This admiral has
two daughters, one of whom
is ga giddy thing''-a girl OF our own Pc
Rod chucked neck and.crop into the past,
to help crafty the grudge the pages of
"Springhaven" prove that Mr.. Black
more entertains against the early days Of
the eighteenth century. The other SIS
ter is likewise an importation, but she
comes from the other way, being appa-
rently lugged in from the fanatical family
circle of one of Cromwell's Ironsides, or
caught on the fly from the sour cargo OF
the Mayfower. Mr.. Blackmore's
idea in these extraordiordinary sisterly
creations is unknown, unless it was for
the sake of vivid" contrast. The al
legged hero of the story is an English
youth with modest fair hair and retiring
blue eyes, who on the milk and water with
which Mr.. Blackmore plentifully Grams
him, performs those prodigies of Eng
lish valor on the vast and briny
deep, which are usually associated with
a bull neck, and a double allow
ance of grog. This mild English naval
explosive, and bashful destroyer of the
French, reioices in the name of Scuba
mOre-Blyth Scudamore, and the more
he scuds, the less blithe he becomes.
Mr.. Caryl Carne is the william of "Spring-
haven" He is of English father, and
a French mother, and the demands of
the English pubic, and the situation,
are probably responsible for the
placing Of the noble character of the
English parent in the background, and
the bringing to the front of the maternal
French villainy. There is perfect jam
in the pages of "Springhaven" of stupid
and arrogant English country families,
and brutal and ignorant English peas
ants. The interesting dialogues of these
entertaining characters is the principal
feature in the absorbing interest
OF the book. The two admirals are
both finally slain, Nelson at Trafalgar,
because it is matter of history, and
Darling because he deserved to be killed.
Mr.. Caryl Carne is evidently afraid of
similar Nemesis-like action on the part of
the author, and SO he blows himself up.
1t is to be regretted that all of the rest of
the characters did not manifest similar
consideration. In fact, "Springhaven" is
matter of regret in one hundred and
fifty pages.